FORGOTTEN LOVER, Carole Mortimer [chrysanthemum read aloud TXT] 📗

had been ten years her senior, but Jerard Daniels must be even older than that, and she just couldn’t believe she was ever involved with such a man. If only he weren’t so adamant!

She had been up and dressed for hours when Carly knocked on her door, and had been expecting the barrage of questions that came her way from the other girl.

‘What time did you leave Jerard’s apartment last night?’ Carly asked eagerly.

‘Just after you,’ Velvet answered rigidly.

‘Really?’ Carly looked disappointed.

‘Yes, really,’ she sighed.

‘What did he want to talk to you about, then?’

‘Just work,’ she shrugged.

Carly gave her a scornful glance. ‘I’ll bet!’

‘Carly—’

‘Look, Velvet,’ Carly grinned, ‘it was obvious the man fancies you like hell.’

‘He—’

‘He wants to sleep with you,’ Carly insisted.

‘Maybe,’ Velvet admitted grudgingly, knowing that last night that had been true.

‘No maybe about it,’ Carly scoffed. ‘Paul and I could feel the air sizzle every time he looked at you. It was a relief to get away from the heat!’ she grinned.

Velvet blushed. ‘I—He—’

‘He asked for you especially, you know.’

She gave the other girl a startled glance. ‘What do you mean?’

Carly sat down on the bed, and Velvet faced her across the room from the chair in front of the dressing-table. She shrugged. ‘Paul thought he’d asked for you because he’d seen some of your other work and liked the look of you. But after last night, after finding that you two had met before, we realised that had been the reason he requested you on this job.’

Velvet frowned. ‘You’re saying that Jerard Daniels asked Paul to bring me here?’

‘Exactly,’ Carly nodded.

Velvet didn’t like that, just as she didn’t like the fact that Jerard Daniels seemed to know so much about her life. It was like an invasion of privacy, leaving her naked and defenceless.

She stood up briskly. ‘Are we working today?’

Carly looked disappointed. ‘Does that mean the subject of Jerard Daniels is closed?’

‘Very much so,’ Velvet nodded.

‘Will it always be?’

‘I’m not sure, but I think so.’

‘Shame,’ Carly sighed. ‘You meet some creeps in this line of work, but he’s such an interesting individual. Interesting!’ she dismissed in disgust. ‘He’s gorgeous. Tall, dark, and mysterious.’

Velvet smiled. ‘And Paul?’

‘Oh, heavens—Paul! We’re supposed to be meeting him in reception. He wants us all to have an early breakfast and then get to work before it gets too hot.’

‘Good idea. The heat finished me off yesterday.’

‘Me too,’ Carly grimaced. ‘And if we don’t go down now Paul will probably complete the job.’

Velvet laughed. ‘Then let’s go.’

Paul was scowling when they stepped out of the lift. ‘I thought I told you not to stop and ask questions,’ he told Carly impatiently, marching them both into the dining-room.

Carly poked her tongue out at him across the table. ‘Only because you wanted to know the answers yourself. And they say women are nosey!’

He gave the waitress three orders of coffee and toast, scowling heavily at his girl-friend. ‘Velvet’s relationship with Mr Daniels is none of our business,’ he hissed.

‘Who says so?’ she scorned.

‘He does,’ Paul sighed.

Velvet frowned. ‘When did he tell you that?’

‘Just now, on his way to the airport.’

He had gone; Jerard Daniels had left! Velvet felt the tension draining out of her. ‘He had no need to do that,’ she said lightly, feeling suddenly free now that she knew he wasn’t going to suddenly appear. ‘We really didn’t have a relationship.’ Not one she remembered anyway. ‘And I didn’t want toast for my breakfast, Paul,’ she effectively changed the subject, ‘just coffee.’

‘You’ll eat the toast,’ he growled. ‘You hardly ate any dinner last night.’

She smiled. ‘I won’t kid myself that you’re concerned for my health.’

His mouth twitched and then he too smiled. ‘Sorry, Velvet. I think the heat is getting to me too.’

‘I should treasure that apology, Velvet,’ Carly put in cheekily. ‘It’s almost unheard-of.’

Both girls burst out laughing at Paul’s outraged expression, and soon he joined in.

The subject of Jerard Daniels seemed to be forgotten by the other couple, so Velvet decided to do the same. She wouldn’t bother to call Simon about the other man, not now that he had left the hotel. If it was still bothering her when she got home she could ask her brother about it then.

Greg Boyd had just come into the dining-room, dressed much more formally than yesterday as he came over to their table, his grey lightweight suit and white shirt very smart, as was the rest of his neatly groomed appearance.

‘Hi,’ he greeted them with a smile.

‘Good morning,’ Velvet returned with a smile, and made the introductions.

He sat down at the fourth chair at their table. ‘I’m going to be free this afternoon,’ he told Velvet. ‘I wondered if you would be too.’

‘You’ll have to ask Paul that.’

He looked at the other man. ‘Well?’

‘Why not?’ Paul shrugged. ‘It’s too hot to work in the afternoons anyway.’

‘So gracious!’ Carly grimaced.

Paul quirked an eyebrow at her. ‘I thought you wanted me to drive you to the Everglades?’

‘I do,’ she nodded eagerly.

‘Then shut up.’

Velvet laughed. ‘Don’t mind them, Greg,’ she advised at his worried frown. ‘They love each other really.’

‘Huh!’ Paul scoffed.

‘I have vays of making you suffer,’ Carly said in her most ham German accent.

‘Sexual threats, no less,’ Paul taunted.

‘Are you sure they love each other?’ Greg teased.

‘Very sure,’ Velvet laughed. ‘They just have a strange way of showing it.’

‘You’re not kidding,’ he drawled.

Paul put his arm about Carly’s shoulders. ‘I might even make an honest woman out of her one day.’

‘You should be so lucky,’ she answered in a disgruntled voice.

He nuzzled his lips against her earlobe. ‘I will be.’

‘Huh!’ but Carly was obviously weakening towards him, and snuggled into his arms for further kisses.

‘It’s enough to put you off your breakfast,’ Velvet teased.

‘It sure is,’ Greg grinned. ‘So about this afternoon …’

‘Come with us, if you like,’ Paul invited.

‘I’d like to, but I don’t really have the time to go that far. I have to be back on duty at six,’ Greg explained regretfully.

‘How far are the Everglades?’ Paul groaned.

‘About an